Tanya Peasgood

Blog

  • Cheesecake – Ruby Tandoh’s excellent recipe

    Some time ago I wanted to make a cheesecake and I’m not a fan of the chilled gelatine types, I like a good baked cheesecake and preferably it should feature ricotta. Having found this version by Ruby Tandoh for a blackberry cheesecake I decided to give it a go.

    I think it turned out really well and was quite adaptable – a few things I’ve changed on different makes of this:

    • You can use different fruit – it’s great with raspberry instead
    • I didn’t have the right amount of ricotta so made with a combination of ricotta and cream cheese – still tasted good
    • I like it with a bit more colour so increased the oven temperature towards the end of baking to develop that golden brown crust
    • I’ve also turned it into a banoffee cheesecake with some mashed banana in the mix and dulce de leche. Tasted good but the toffee sank to the bottom and created a layer next to the base!
    Picture of a banoffee cheesecake
    The banoffee cheesecake version
  • Daytime / Nighttime

    Daytime / Nighttime

    I look back at older photos and see slightly wobbly & fuzzy night shots. And then I just use my iPhone and manage to get these shots of the harbour at St Ives without even trying. I can understand people thinking there’s been a loss of skill in photography and I’ll generally use a real camera but I do love the ease of capturing in the moment I get with my phone.

  • Reading for fun, not profit

    Life is too short to read a bad book

    I grew up reading a ridiculous amount. As a child I was a member of 2 libraries and also bought a book a week. And more recently because I used to have solid commutes by bus or train that would also give me focused reading time (including the bus journey where unexpectedly heavy snow let me read the whole of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe on the way to work!).

    But these past 2 years have been more of a struggle in terms of book reading. I’ve lacked the ability to focus on a novel – partly it’s been the lockdowns and stress, partly missing that focused commute time. This year is going better as I’m now onto my 5th book of the year so far but it’s cemented for me the fact above. Reading should be enjoyable and not a chore – if you don’t like a book then put it down and try something else. You do not have to slog your way to the end, you don’t owe the author or anybody else that effort.

    Read for fun, because you want to, and don’t forget that it all counts – kids books, graphic novels, recipes – find that enjoyment in reading again.

  • Recipe: Pavlova

    Trying out the new mixer yesterday by making a pavlova. Pretty simple recipe to do (from a Marks & Spencer cookbook)

    Ingredients

    • 6 egg whites
    • 300g caster sugar
    • 30g cornflour
    • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
    • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Steps

    • Preheat oven to 150 celsius
    • Line a baking tray with parchment
    • Whisk egg whites at a high speed until they start to form stiff peaks
    • Add sugar a tablespoon at a time whilst still whisking at speed – mixture should still form stiff peaks and be glossy & a bit marshmallowy
    • Add the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla in one go and mix until combined
    • Scoop out the meringue mix onto the baking tray in a circle and make a nest by hollowing out the middle a bit and raising the sides
    • Bake for 90 minutes at 150 celsius – it will crack and have crisp outer and marshmallow middle
    • When cooled fill with cream and filling of your choice. I added some raspberries to the cream and then used peach & raspberry on top

  • My secret garden

    At home we don’t really go in for a neatly manicured garden. Instead it’s a series of little shaded nooks with interesting plants (the Sun King being a spectacular mass of yellow flowers right now), seating, fairy lights, and ornamentation. 

    It’s a nice day today so the cushions are out on the seats and plants are being planted.  

             

  • The light at the end of the tunnel

    Tunnel at Calke Abbey
    Tunnel at Calke Abbey

  • Easy Scone Recipe

    This is my mum’s failsafe scone recipe – works perfectly for creating plain, fruit, or cheese scones. The basic recipe makes 12 scones

    Ingredients

    • 450g self-raising flour
    • Good pinch of salt (preferably seasalt)
    • 110g butter (chilled and cut into small cubes)
    • 50g golden caster sugar
    • 300ml milk (and a little extra for a glaze)

    Process

    1. Preheat your oven to 220C/425F or Gas mark 7
    2. Lightly grease a flat baking sheet (or line with baking parchment)
    3. Sift flour & salt into a large bowl
    4. Add the butter, rubbing it into the flour with your fingertips. If you lift your hands whilst doing this you’ll get more air into the mixture to help it rise. The ingredients are combined when the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs
    5. Stir the sugar into the mix
    6. Add enough milk to make a soft dough (not too sticky) drawing the mixture together using a palette knife rather than your hands
    7. Flour your worksurface and also dust your hands with flour and then turn the dough onto it. Knead it lightly and then wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes
    8. Get the dough out of the fridge and flatten with your hand (no need to roll) on a floured surface until the dough is about 1.5 inch thick (you can make them thinner – about an inch – but I like scones that are taller than they are round!)
    9. Cut out scones with a 2 inch (5cm) cutter – don’t twist as you press cutter down as this makes them rise unevenly
    10. Re-roll the trimmings and cut out the remaining scones
    11. Arrange on the prepared baking tray and lightly brush with a little milk
    12. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. They’re ready when they’re well risen, the top is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped
    13. Cool on the tray for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack

    They’re great eaten still warm with butter and jam, adding clotted cream for a treat. They’re still OK the next day – but better if warmed for a couple of minutes

    Variations

    You can vary the plain scone mix – here’s a couple of options:

    • Add 50g of dried fruit to the mix before adding the milk. Raisins are good as they’re smaller and don’t cause the scone to crumble when cut
    • Leave out the sugar and add 75g of grated cheese (mature cheddar or Red Leicester work well). Add in a touch of mustard powder or cayenne pepper too for some extra flavour. You can also sprinkle a little cheese on top before cooking. Cheese scones are very nice toasted the next day

  • Photo: Daisy, daisy

    Experimenting with a new app I have called Vintique on a daisy photo I took with my SLR at Hidcote garden. The effects are, as ever in these apps, a bit exaggerated but I think they can work quite well in certain circumstances.

    The original photo
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    The filtered images
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  • Yellow Flowers, Blue Sea

    Yellow Flowers, Blue Sea

    The bright yellow gorse flowers against a turquoise sea on the North Cornwall Coast at a place called “Hell’s Mouth”. Lovely place for a walk

  • Great show by Muse for Warchild last night

    Watched the concert by Muse for The War Child charity last night via a YouTube live stream. Surprisingly good quality stream and a great performance in a smaller venue than Muse normally play nowadays. I love that as a band they’re still playing songs from their earliest album (Sunburn got a great reception) and I was really pleased that Chris got to sing “Save Me”.

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